This invention relates to the dispensing of a product from a tube container that has at least two chambers in streams greater than the number of chambers. More particularly, this invention relates to the dispensing of products from a multichamber tube in multiple streams of more than the number of chambers where the closure contains a flow director to flow the product in such multiple streams.
There are various types of multichamber tube containers. These are usually of the type where the products are in a side-by-side longitudinal relationship or are located concentrically, one inside of another. The former type of a tube is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,894,115; U.S. Pat. No. 3,227,319; U.S. Pat. No. 3,506,159; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,437 and the latter type of a tube is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,699,532; U.S. Pat. No. 2,939,610 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,341. These primarily are dual chamber tubes that will dispense the products in the tubes in the same array in which they are in the tubes. That is, the tubes where two products are disposed in a side-by-side longitudinal relationship usually will dispense the products in two D-shaped streams, and the tubes where two products are in a concentric relationship usually will dispense the product in two concentric circles. An objective of this patent is to provide a way to flow the products from a dual chamber tube where the products are in a side-by-side longitudinal relationship in other than two D-shaped streams.
It is desired many times to improve the aesthetics of a product that is being dispensed from a dual chamber tube. As noted this will be in the form of two D-shaped streams of a tube container that has the products in a longitudinal side-by-side orientation. This was addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,420 where two streams from such a dual chamber tube are flowed in up to four different streams. This is accomplished by a flow director in the nozzle of a tube and which is a part of the shoulder of the tube. The flow director in this instance is attached directly to the center divider wall of the tube. A closure then is placed over the nozzle. Such a closure will have an unobstructed cylindrical path for the flow of the product from the nozzle.
A disadvantage in having the flow director as a part of the nozzle is that the tube making process and equipment then must be modified. The processes and equipment would have to be changed for each arrangement of product flow from the tube. This is burdensome and costly. During changeovers the tube making equipment is not being used.
It has been found that a flow director for the flow of two streams into a plurality of streams can be made a part of the closure and need not be a part of the tube shoulder. In this way the same tube can be used to produce many different product streams. Also it is more efficient to have an inventory of closures with different flow directors than tubes with different flow directors. In this regard this invention is an improvement over the multichamber tubes of U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,420.
The present invention is directed to a multi-channel closure for delivering products from a multichamber tube. The closure includes in a base portion a flow director for receiving the flow of products from each of the chambers of the multichamber tube and to deliver the products through the base portion of the closure in an array of segments greater than the number of tube chambers. The multichamber tube will have at least two longitudinal chambers with each chamber dispensing a product through the tube shoulder to a nozzle exit. The closure is attached to the exit of the tube nozzle with a first chamber of the tube delivering a first product to a first set of channels of said closure and a second chamber of the tube delivering a second product to a second set of channels of said closure. The first product and the second products then are delivered from the base portion of the closure to a point of use.
The flow director in the closure is such that each set of channels will receive a product from a chamber of the tube. There is a sufficient seal between the closure and the tube so that there is no mixing of the product from one chamber with that from another chamber until the exit from the base portion of the closure.